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Hi guys, I'm doing this year's offseason review series for the Bears and I'm hoping you guys can help me out with constructive criticism. If you guys see anything that should be changed or perhaps elaborated upon, don't hesitate to let me know. The review isn't finished yet, so I'm just uploading what I have so far.
[Chicago Bears]
NFC [North] Record: 5-11
The staff from the 2014-15 season were fired and replaced with quite a few high profile coaches. We cleaned house, and did so in a great way as the coaching changes were all expected and demanded by fans. GM Emery was also let go and replaced with Ryan Pace who used to work for the Saints. Head Coach: John Fox replaces Marc Trestman. This is a best case scenario as an offensive head coach who lost control of the offense was replaced by a much better locker room presence in the defensive minded Fox. His record is 119-89, and most importantly he has been to two SB’s with two different teams. Not to mention, he turned the Panthers into SB contenders within two years of being 1-15. Our defense could use a lift and he’s one of the best. Speaking of defense… DC: Our defense has some bright spots but help is needed schematically and talent wise all over from the field, including the sidelines which is why Tucker was let go. Fangio is our new DC, and again this is a good hire because out defense has been absolutely atrocious the past couple of years. He ran a 3-4 in the Bay but the success was there. Another former 49’er in Donatell also jumped ship, and should help the secondary get back to being respectable. The defenses Fangio ran were aggressive and highly successful and here’s hoping that it transfers over to the Windy City. OC: It was a surprise that Kromer was not fired during the season after losing complete trust and faith of the locker room. In his place the Bears hired Adam Gase, previously of the Denver Broncos who followed Fox. He led the Broncos to an elite offense, although how much of that is the Manning effect is unknown. The crazy thing is that all Fox, Gase, and Fangio were all head coaching candidates somewhere so this is a massive coup for us to land the trifecta. Obviously, Gase is an upgrade over Trestman/Kromer. While the offense was great to watch in their first year, it really stagnated last year and needed to be upgraded.
Player Position New team Ray McDonald DE Free Agent DJ Williams LB Free Agent Lance Briggs LB Free Agent Charles Tillman CB Panthers Roberto Garza C Free Agent Stephen Paea DT Redskins Darryl Sharpton LB Cardinals Brandon Marshall WR Jets Overall a lot of the players let go on defense have been around since the Lovie Smith era, and the Bears needed to get younger. Despite a lot of these players being big names, injuries and age have caught up to their production. Letting go of these players allows us to move on from a bad defense, and install players that will be better fits for the new direction that Coach Fox is headed towards. I rate the moves of Williams, Briggs, and Sharpton as an A. We needed to move on, and a case could have been made that these veterans could have been important going forward but they had their chance. Paea has performed well at times, as he can get us sacks although he may not be a good fit in our defenses going forward B-. Letting go of Ray McDonald because of his off-field incidents is an A+ move. We don’t need him as a distraction, and in the words of Kyle Long: “Good Riddance.” Marshall has chemistry with Cutler, and just two years ago his combination with Bennett and Jeffrey was a terrifying combo. This may have been a low sell, as Marshall was traded for a fifth-rounder but it helps our cap situation as he had a large contract. I still don’t believe this was a good deal because he can still produce, and now we have a big need of quality depth at the WR position C.
Round Number Player Position School 1 7 Kevin White WR West Virgina 2 39 Eddie Goldman DT Florida State 3 71 Hroniss Grasu C Oregon 4 106 Jeremy Langford RB Michigan State 5 142 Adrian Amos FS Penn State 6 183 Tayo Fabuluje OT TCU All of the picks our new GM and coaches made are in the areas where we most need depth/stars. I really like our top 3 picks in particular. White has crazy athleticism, and can be a faster version of Brandon Marshall. He’s raw but the potential is there to form a deadly combo with Jeffrey. Goldman has a high motor, and can contribute immediately. Our D-line could really use someone to get to the QB as well as eat space on the line to allow other guys to make plays. Grasu can help an improving line get better in the interior and should be in contention for the starting spot. Plus, the last time we added an Oregon lineman, he became a pro bowler. Amos and Fabuluje add depth in necessary areas. The only doubt I have is about Langford, he had a good career at MSU, but the Bears drafted Carey last year. Not sure how he can fit in, since Carey is a similar player. Perhaps they will share 3rd down? Overall, this is exactly kind of draft we needed. Players who can contribute now, as well as get better and push for more than just starting spots. I think this is an A grade draft.
QB Jay Cutler- At this point in Cutler’s career, we know what to expect. I still think he’s an above average starter, and definitely the best option for the Bears. One could hope that our line stays healthy, and with a strong showing from our receivers, along with a competent coach in Gase, Cutler could still be a good QB. Though I think that is asking too much from him. He still has a good arm, and chances are that we continue to see more of last year from him, where he was still a good QB, just not a great one. One thing that worries me is his health. It’s rare when he manages to stay healthy, and if the line suffers injuries then Cutler’s production will drop.
RB Matt Forte- Forte is still an excellent, top tier running back in the NFL and I can’t imagine how bad last year would’ve been without him. His YPC dipped quite a bit, but he was also on the field catching screen passes for most of the games. Perhaps with Langford and Carey being more involved we can see an efficient Forte back on the field. Not just an efficient RB, a deadly one.
TEs Martellus Bennett, Dante Rosario-Bennett is a pass catching machine, and should continue being a force in the end zone. Especially with Marshall gone, we’re going to need his production to keep up the passing offense if White or Royal don’t immediately show production. We signed Pascoe, and Miller this offseason, and Rosario has been around for a couple of years. I’m not sure how much of these guys we will see in the season, beacuse from what I’ve seen from Gase in Denver. He played a lot of wide receiver sets that focused on getting the ball in the hands of playmakers. They may just be blockers with occasional pass caught.
WRs Kevin White, Alshon Jeffrey, and Eddie Royal- Jeffrey is a stud, but we already knew that. I expect him to make the transition to a WR1 with the absence of Marshall. He has been steadily improving since he got into the league and he has the potential to make another breakthrough without Marshall. White has all the physical tools, and WR’s usually take some time to acclimate to the NFL. With that being said, we saw a situation last year when lots of rookie WR’s made breakthroughs in unprecedented ways. He could be in a similar situation because he’s playing for a veteran QB with a WR in Jeffrey to guide his development. I think Royal give us some more speed in the passing game. With White, Jeffrey, and Bennett commanding attention, we could see Royal getting a lot of work done. Plus, he already has a relationship with Cutler from his days in Denver. He could be a good slot receiver for us moving forward.
I still have to write up the players signed/resigned as well as writing about our schedule, scheme, and finishing up the starters.
Thanks to all of you reading and helping me out! Especially /u/The_Black_Unicorn for letting me take a crack at the review.